DAWG Director Expresses Concerns Over Potential Funding Shortfall Impacting Drone Development
- Published
- Source
- BreakingDefense
The director of the Defense Autonomous Working Group (DAWG), Lt. Gen. Steven Marks, expressed uncertainty regarding the nearly $54 billion funding request from the Trump administration. He warned that without adequate funding, the momentum gained since DAWG's establishment over a year ago could diminish significantly.
Marks highlighted the urgency of securing financial support, noting that the requested funds are crucial for maintaining the program's development pace amid global military advancements. He referenced ongoing military operations in Ukraine and the Middle East as indicators of the competitive landscape, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to keep pace with adversaries.
Looking ahead, Marks indicated that if the budget reconciliation fails, DAWG could be left with only $1 billion, which is substantially less than the original request. He stressed the importance of standardizing unmanned systems to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness in future autonomous warfare scenarios. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
Original report
‘Truly concerns me’: DAWG director warns funding lapse could kill ‘momentum’
BreakingDefense · Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.This briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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